Disclaimer: I do not own ABC Family's The Fosters. These characters and the flashbacks aren't mine.

Takes place after 2x19.

Connor

They were running. Running and giggling into the living room as light flooded the stairwell.

"C'mon, this way!" Taylor hissed. She led the group, Daria on her tail, then Connor and lastly Jude. There's a bang, and then he's stumbling. He's tripping over his own feet, a tight knot in his right shoulder. He fell, crumbling like sand onto the hardwood floor. Everything stopped as Jude rushed forward, Daria on his other side, her cool hand on his flaming shoulder.

"Connor! Connor!" Jude shouted. A man bounded down the stairs, gun still in hand. It clattered to the floor.

"Taylor?" he asked, realization dawning upon him. "Taylor! Call the police!" he exclaimed. He knelt down, elbowing Jude out of the way. There's a new pain in his shoulder as a firm, hot hand jutted into his shoulder. Connor winced at the pain.

"Everything's gonna be all right, Connor," the man reassured. He merely blinked, his eyelids becoming excruciatingly heavy. Connor blinked once, twice, and then his eyes remained closed.

"It's best if we work in pairs, so everyone, chose a partner."

Connor glanced around as the class split into pairs, a brunette remained seated. He turned to face him.

"Do you have a…" he began.

"No."

"Do you wanna be mine?"

The boy, Jude, he thought, nodded, a smiled teased at his lips.

"How 'bout I come over Saturday? My mom doesn't like having kids over, says it gives her migraines."

Jude nodded.

Saturday came and after a fast paced, near tie, soccer match, his father dropped him off at the Foster's residence. He knocked on the door.

"Uh hey, c'mon in," Ms. Adams greeted when she opened the door. He stepped into the foyer, glancing around at the room. A oriental rug was rolled across the floor, complimenting the dark wood stain on the staircase and the table against the wall by it. An open doorway led to the living room, and another led off to the dining room.

"Jude, Connor's here!" Ms. Adams called up the stairs. Jude ran down and smiled.

"Hey Jude!" Connor exclaimed.

"Ah! The Beatles!" Ms. Adams interjected. Connor gave Ms. Adams and Jude a questioning look.

"It's a band old people like," Jude supplied.

"Okay, ouch." Ms. Adams sighed. Jude beckoned Connor to the stairs and Connor followed him up, admiring the stairwell collage of family photographs. He took note of the lack of pictures of Jude. Upstairs, in the room Jude led him into, skateboards leaned against the half wall, and a limp jersey rested on a shelf.

Connor made a comment about the shirt, which Jude brushed off and said it was his brother's. Connor pointed at a skateboard-also Jesus's.

Half way through their project, Connor turned toward Jude.

"You never talk bad about anybody, like ever." He commented.

"What's the point?"

A nice silence fell upon them before Connor whipped out his PSP handheld-shiny, black, new. Jude glanced over at the game. Connor held it out for him and the other boy accepted it, twiddling with the controls for a second before looking at him. Jude shot Connor a small smile before he glanced back at the game.

When it was time to leave, Jude moved to hand Connor his PSP back, but Connor denied.

"You keep it," he stated.

"Thanks."

"See you on Monday."

"Yeah, see you."

Connor left and Jude closed the door behind him.

In the fog of his mind, Connor could hear voices, all muddled together like white noise. It buzzed in his ears, whining with the occasional sob. It would halt for what felt like two seconds, but he knew it was probably hours.

"Connor?" a cautious voice began. "You know they say people in comas can hear you speak. And, Connor, I wanted to tell you that I love you." The voice was familiar. It was like sweet honey dripping into calm tea. Daria pressed a hand to his limp one, enclosing it in her gentle hand. "You should wake up so we can go on movie dates, and picnics, and to the pier like we planned," she said. "You are incredibly strong and we all want our friend back, Connor."

Her voice faded into the white static of his mind, slowly receding after the words 'movie dates' until her voice drowned out with the rest of the noises he could hear in his state.

He sat beside Daria at the table with his back to the beach; Taylor on Daria's right. Jude approached the table cautiously, stopping when he saw the two girls beside Connor. Connor beckoned him over.

"Do you wanna see a movie this weekend-as a group?" he asked.

Daria went on to describe the movie they wanted to see.

Jude shook his head.

"C'mon, Jude, it'll be fun," Connor persisted. Jude relented and the two fell into an easy silence for the remainder of lunch.

Friday. Connor sat in Daria's mom's backseat with Daria in the passenger and Taylor on his right. They idled outside the Adams Foster house as Jude ran out the door to greet the trio. Taylor crawled out to allow Jude in the middle and Connor moved closer to the window. Their knees knocked together accidentally and Connor froze awkwardly. He coughed, but left his knee touching Jude's.

Daria's mom dropped them off outside the theater; Daria pulled four tickets out of her handbag.

"You guys are on snacks," she smiled as they showed their tickets to the ticket master, who nodded and passed them on to the atrium outside the screening rooms.

Daria and Connor split a popcorn and two sodas while Taylor ordered a Cherry Coke. Jude shook his head.

"I'm good, thanks," he replied politely. The group made their way to the screening room and they stood in the aisle for a second under the lights.

"Where do ya wanna sit?" Connor asked.

"Anywhere's good," Taylor said.

"The back," Daria suggested at the same time. She nodded at a set of four seats in the back row and Taylor led the group up, going to the farthest seat from the aisle. Jude sat beside her and when Connor sat down, he pulled the armrest down between him and Jude.

Just in case, he thought. He didn't want to accidentally do something, not tonight. He knew deep down he was doing this more for his father than for himself. He just has to think I'm straight.

Daria and Taylor absorbed themselves in the movie-something about a girl loving a vampire even though she shouldn't.

Connor looked to his left to see Jude watching the movie with disembodied interest. Jude's elbow rested on the armrest between them. Connor shifted his weight, throwing his arm on the communal armrest. His hand was centimeters from Jude's. He glanced out of the corner of his eye to check that Daria wasn't watching…or Taylor for that matter. He took a deep breath.

This doesn't make me anything, does it? He tentatively brushed his pinky against Jude's, and a spark of electricity shot up his arm. It was a foreign feeling, not like the kind he got when he held Daria's hand or touched her elbow. It wormed its way up to his shoulder and then it looped round to his toes, electrifying his nerves.

He held his breath for one, two, three counts. Then he felt the gentle brush of Jude's pinky against his, touching softly like a whisper. Connor brushed back. Connor snuck a glance over Jude at Taylor, who remained consumed by the film. Jude simultaneously glanced over at Daria before he turned his head to see what Connor saw with Taylor.

This can't mean anything. You're still straight, Connor's mind persisted, but deep down in his mind there was another voice that rattled in its cage where he had barred it away for months. You're not. You're not. This means more than anything.

Connor took a steadying breath, exhaling softly. He glanced down at his and Jude's hands. His fingers shook, and he caught Jude's eyes trained on their hands as well. Connor inhaled and thought, fuck it, and moved his pinky over Jude's. Jude moved his pinky under so they were interlaced. More electric shocks ran up his arm and they settled as a secure smile slipped from his lips. He glanced over at Jude, and he held a faint smile on his lips.

In the dark we're safe, Connor thought softly.

The fog cleared briefly and Connor felt a new hand grasp his forearm, which remained limp and unmoving. The hand was firm and remained planted on his arm before it slid off slowly.

"If I'm ever hard on you, it's because I want you to live up to your full potential. You need to wake up. Baseball season's about to start and the championship is in a few weeks and you need to prepare for the game. Please, son, wake up and smell the roses. You can't hide forever in that head o' yours," his father whispered.

His voice may have been soft, but every alarm rang in his head as his father removed his hand from Connor's vicinity. The chair creaked as he stood.

"You need to wake up and apologize to you girlfriend and your mother. They don't deserve this pain that you have put them through-worrying that you'll never wake up and they'll be caring for a vegetable when there're perfectly good carrots to be worshiped." His father laughed at his own humor. "Just wake up and face the music."

AN: So that's it! Please leave a lovely review if you would like me to continue this! Thank you for reading!